Wasim Akaram and Waqar Younis, two former fast bowlers for Pakistan, have slammed the Babar Azam-led team following their six-run T20 World Cup loss to India. They dispute the team’s potential to win even after holding India to a meager 119.
Pakistan looked to be in control of the chase at 72/2 after 12 overs, with Fakhar Zaman and Muhammad Rizwan at the crease. But once they were dismissed, the squad crumbled and could only muster 112/7, losing by six runs.
Waqar believes that India’s poor batting performance gave Pakistan a strong chance to win the match, pointing out that they might have easily scored 140–150 runs. The Pakistani squad did not get much assistance from losing those seven wickets in the final overs. But India is such a well-rounded country. They know they have Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja to fall back on if they don’t bat well. They also have excellent bowling and fielding, which makes them a formidable team.
He chastised Pakistan for their lackluster performance in the matches, particularly the inability of their batters to actually complete the game. Rizwan’s choice to play beyond the line against Jasprit Bumrah, which helped India win the match, drew particular criticism from Waqar.
Wasim Akram, the renowned left-arm fast bowler, expressed similar feelings to Waqar when he bemoaned Pakistani players’ ignorance of the game. Rizwan lost his wicket because he went for a big shot, according to him, despite having no game knowledge. He should have understood that Bumrah was handed the ball to take wickets and that it would have been prudent for him to play his deliveries conservatively.
When criticizing hitters Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed, Akram implied that they had not improved in all the years they had been at the club. He claimed that Although Iftikhar Ahmed has been a member of the squad for years and understands one shot on the leg side, he is not a good batsman. He also said that Pakistani players believe that if they don’t perform well, the coaches will be fired and nothing bad will happen to them. It’s time to replace the entire team while retaining the coaches.
He also disclosed internal strife, saying that after a captaincy switch earlier this year, left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and skipper Babar Azam are not on speaking terms.
Waqar Younis Commends India’s Team After Victory in T20 World Cup
Waqar Younis, a legendary fast bowler for Pakistan, praised India’s squad balance after his country’s unlikely victory over Pakistan in Sunday, June 9, 2024’s T20 World Cup match in New York. On a challenging surface, the Rohit Sharma-led team held off a low score of 119 to win the competition for the second time in a row.
India was at 89/3 after 11 overs, well on their way to a respectable score of over 160. Then, they had a stunning collapse, losing their next seven wickets in less than 30 runs. Speaking about their batting, Waqar claimed that their bad batting offered Pakistan a strong chance to win the game. Though the batter’s subpar performance was overshadowed by the bowlers, their outstanding balance allowed them to rally.
“I believe that India’s poor batting performance offered Pakistan a strong chance to win this game. They easily might have posted between 140 and 150. It didn’t help that we lost those seven wickets in the final over. But India is such a well-rounded country. They are a fantastic squad because, even if they don’t bat well, they have (Jasprit) Bumrah, (Mohammed) Siraj, and Ravindra (Jadeja) to fall back on. Waqar stated as much on Star Sports.
In addition, the renowned fast bowler blasted Pakistan for their “abysmal performance,” which cost them the game.
“What shall I say, Pakistan, if you are unable to win this game? You were presented with this, and Pakistan truly spilled it. The batting display by the Pakistanis was terrible. Although there were some early alliances, Waqar continued, “they weren’t able to really finish the game.”
